Reverie [The Distortionist x reader]

Chapter 18

(Art by shawzii--drawz on Tumblr)

Bending light in a way that shows

Exactly how the story goes

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You don't know where you are, or who you are. Sure, you used to be [Y/N], but now you feel different. As if you're someone else. All you know is that the juice of cut flowers stains your hands and the night breeze makes your long hair wave alongside its currents.

Once your senses turn on one by one, you feel the peacefulness around you. It is a city of tents, a carnival, but almost no one is around, unlike the busy days the packed earth trails have most definitely seen. Only workers resting for the day, getting into their tents, are walking around. Clowns without their makeup, acrobats without their stunts, just doing stuff like normal people for once. There was something so soothing about the routine, all of them settling under the moon.

The only discrepancy is your pounding heart and messy mind. Whilst outside everyone is tranquil, chaos rules inside. Why your thoughts are so disordered, so uncertain, you don't know. All you know is that it is like this, and you can do nothing about it. What you can do is keep walking, towards an unsure destination. You're even faltering on your decision on where to go, but it seems you have somewhere you want to get to. You're just lost.

You soon find out that it's not somewhere, but someone, as you approach the individual. That one thought of yours becomes clear. You want to see him. That pale-skinned man in a carny suit, the one sitting on a chair under the shade of a tarp spread out above and supported by some poles.

You huff without commanding yourself to. This sight is apparently unsatisfactory. By searching your head, you find it is because Chris is currently appearing to be sleeping. That won't do, your mind tells you. If only he was awake...

You raise the bouquet you're holding. The stems are squished by your tight grasp, but the small petals of wildflowers are little pops of color between what seems like colorless hands because of the monotone white of moonlight. You still notice that the petals have seen better days and are now wilting. Maybe you weren't careful enough...

Moving all the flowers to one hand, you use the other to shake Christopher. He doesn't wake up. You go so far as to slap him, but it's of no use. "He's like this again," you mutter bitterly. With stinging eyes, you search your mind. A thought - that of how you can't communicate with him, ever. You might as well let some tears fall. It wouldn't change a thing for him.

You silently slink into the deepest shadows the tarp creates and sit down. You can't identify what happened to make you cry, only knowing whatever impulsive thought darts out from the recesses of your mind and into recognizability, such as the thought that Chris wouldn't care about tears you spilled. The rest is unintelligible. Whenever you dive into the deep end, it's a struggle to get out.

When someone suddenly puts their hand on your shoulder from behind, you almost jump out of your skin. You quickly turn your head to them, but no matter how hard you try, you can't see them. They're almost like a silhouette, a black hole. If your gaze is drawn to the center, you have to avert your eyes immediately to not get sucked in. Instead of asking who they are, as you'd like, your mouth stays shut despite your commands.

The other person is quiet for a moment, then they speak. "I know you two had a big fight, Anna, and I know you want to set things right... But he's not going to accept wilted flowers as an attempt to bring back a burned bridge."

Firstly, you rack your mind for Anna. Have you met her? You can't find anything in your memories. Next, you register that the reason for your thoughts and tears is the fight. Anna and Christopher had fought. About what? And why would Chris send you to this memory in particular? It must be important.